Turner began her career with Ike Turner's Kings of Rhythm in 1957. Under the name Little Ann, she appeared on her first record, "Boxtop", in 1958. In 1960, she debuted as Tina Turner with the hit duet single "A Fool in Love". The duo Ike & Tina Turner became "one of the most formidable live acts in history". They released hits such as "It's Gonna Work Out Fine", "River Deep โ Mountain High", "Proud Mary", and "Nutbush City Limits" before disbanding in 1976.
In the 1980s, Turner launched "one of the greatest comebacks in music history". Her 1984 multi-platinum album Private Dancer contained the hit song "What's Love Got to Do with It", which won the Grammy Award for Record of the Year and became her first and only number one song on the Billboard Hot 100. At age 44, she was the oldest female solo artist to top the Hot 100. Her chart success continued with "Better Be Good to Me", "Private Dancer", "We Don't Need Another Hero (Thunderdome)", "Typical Male", "The Best", "I Don't Wanna Fight", and "GoldenEye". During her Break Every Rule World Tour in 1988, she set a then-Guinness World Record for the largest paying audience (180,000) for a solo performer.
Turner also acted in the films Tommy (1975), Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome (1985), and Last Action Hero (1993). In 1993, What's Love Got to Do with It, a biographical film adapted from her autobiography I, Tina: My Life Story, was released. In 2009, Turner retired after completing her Tina!: 50th Anniversary Tour, which is the 15th highest-grossing tour of the 2000s. In 2018, she became the subject of the jukebox musical Tina.
Having sold over 100 million records worldwide, Turner became one of the best-selling recording artists of all time. She received 12 Grammy Awards, which include eight competitive awards, three Grammy Hall of Fame awards, and a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award. She was the first black artist, and first woman, to be on the cover of Rolling Stone. Rolling Stone ranked her among the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time and the 100 Greatest Singers of All Time. Turner has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and the St. Louis Walk of Fame. She was twice inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, with Ike Turner in 1991 and as a solo artist in 2021. She was a 2005 recipient of the Kennedy Center Honors and Women of the Year award.
In 2020, she came out of retirement to collaborate with Norwegian producer Kygo on a remix of "What's Love Got to Do with It". With this release, she became the first artist to have a top 40 hit in seven consecutive decades in the UK.
Studio albums
Tina Turns the Country On! (1974)
Acid Queen (1975)
Rough (1978)
Love Explosion (1979)
Private Dancer (1984)
Break Every Rule (1986)
Foreign Affair (1989)
Wildest Dreams (1996)
Twenty Four Seven (1999)
Honky Tonk Women
Tina Turner Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
He tried to take me upstairs for a ride
He had to heave me right across his shoulder
'Cause I just can't seem to drink you off my mind
I'm the honky tonk woman
Gimme, gimme, gimme a honky tonk man
I laid a VIP in New York city,
But I had to put myself out of some kind of a fight
He blew my nose and then he blew my mind
I'm a honky tonk woman
Gimme, gimme, gimme a honky tonk man
(Yeah) I'm a honky tonk woman
Gimme, gimme, gimme a honky tonk man
(Yeah) I'm a honky tonk woman
Gimme, gimme, gimme a honky tonk man
The lyrics of Tina Turner's "Honky Tonk Women" tell the story of a woman who is captivated by a man who embodies the honky tonk lifestyle. In the first verse, the woman meets a "gin soaked bar-room man" in Memphis, who tries to take her upstairs for a "ride." Despite this, the woman finds herself unable to forget about him and drink him off her mind.
The second verse tells a similar story, where the woman finds herself in a fight in New York City, after laying with a VIP. However, the man in question then tries to make up for his behavior by covering the woman with roses, blowing her nose, and ultimately blowing her mind. Throughout the song, the woman declares herself a "honky tonk woman" and calls out for a honky tonk man, expressing her love for the wild, free, and rebellious lifestyle that those men embody.
One interpretation of these lyrics could suggest that the woman is caught up in a lifestyle that is fun and exciting, but ultimately lonely and unfulfilling. While she enjoys the thrills and adventures that come with "honky tonk" living, she remains unable to fully connect with anyone or create meaningful relationships. This interpretation is reinforced by the fact that the song is based on Mick Jagger's experiences with a woman who was in and out of his life, emblematic of the transitory nature of the "honky tonk" lifestyle.
Line by Line Meaning
I met a gin soaked bar-room man in Memphis
I encountered a man in a bar who had been drinking heavily in Memphis.
He tried to take me upstairs for a ride
He attempted to take me to a remote location to engage in sexual activity.
He had to leave me right across his shoulder
He had to physically carry me out of the bar in order to leave.
'Cause I just can't seem to drink you off my mind
My thoughts of you are so strong that even heavy drinking cannot erase them.
I'm a honky tonk women
I am a woman who frequents honky tonk bars and enjoys their atmosphere.
Give me, give me, give me the honky tonk man
I desire a man who embodies the spirit of the honky tonk lifestyle.
I laid a V.I.P in New York City
I had a sexual encounter with a high profile individual in New York City.
But I had to pull myself out of some kind of a fight
I found myself in a confrontation that required me to physically defend myself.
A bit later the man, he covered me with roses
The man later attempted to apologize for his behavior by giving me a romantic gesture of flowers.
He blew my nose and then he blew my mind
His actions and words not only surprised me, but positively impacted me on a deep emotional level.
I'm a honky tonk women
I continue to enjoy the honky tonk bar scene and lifestyle.
Give me, give me, give me a honky tonk man
I still desire a man who embodies the honky tonk lifestyle and everything that comes with it.
Lyrics ยฉ Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Abkco Music Inc.
Written by: Keith Richards, Mick Jagger
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@SabrinaSmiley
Rest in power, Queen Tina! You showed us how to be honky tonk women๐ฅ๐ฅ๐ฅ๐ฅ๐ฅ What a remarkable life you lived๐๐พโฅ๏ธ๐๐พ Fearless, risk taker, and pioneer!!!
@garyschneider8829
Well said Ms Sabrina ! I would have loved seeing
Tina Turner and Janis Joplin
Mixing it up together with a duet๐ฅ๐ฅ๐ป๐ป
@pairrynwatson4229
@@garyschneider8829 ๐ค They did do something together at a club in California in the early 60s, u might be able to Google it up. I don't remember what they sung, but Janis had on a Big White Furry Hat that looked like a lamp shade. Rhonda Gramm, Tina's assistant/road mgr took a picture of them on stage๐ค๐ถ๐
@samuelgates5935
Tina Turner the original QUEEN OF ROCK!!!
@themegaislandman
Facts brotha! There was no rock n roll queen before her. Tina's vocals are second-to-none.
She covered most genres of modern music. Rock, funk, pop, soul, jazz, blues, gospel. Highly versatile. Viva Tina!
@daniellamantia7324
LUV ya Tina Turner God bless you sweetie ๐
@BIZARBIES
The Greatest Of All Time.
@Sincopare
Awe Tina, going to miss you. This performance made me fall for you when it ran on MTV closet classics in the early 80s. The band's on fire and your singing, dancing and swagger set the air on fire. Unforgettable.
@Raving
A young Tina Turner. What a goddess! The energy she brings. It's primal, visceral even.
@hellochannel6344
She was 31 at that time.